


a mutual respect

by thedrugdealingshark



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Fluff without Plot, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-02-27
Packaged: 2018-03-15 12:38:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3447479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedrugdealingshark/pseuds/thedrugdealingshark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What they had between each other was a mutual respect, even though, at times, it felt more like admiration.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a mutual respect

**Author's Note:**

> Short little Roman/Daniel snippet. Just some experimenting with this pairing.

It’s late, sometime up in the early morning. The moon is still out, a cold little orb of light shining from behind the city of skyscrapers like a phantom. The city’s always changing but it seems as if the scenery never does. Stars in the night sky, tall buildings, a downtown section bustling from nightlife.

Hotel after hotel after hotel. Freshly made bed, room service, tiny bars of soap in the bathroom.

Roman’s in bed, the glow of the television being cast over him, twitching into different hues as the scenes change. Beside him lies Daniel Bryan. Faded off into a peaceful, undisturbed sleep.

The smell of sex hangs in the air like a burden.

Daniel’s got his head on Roman’s chest, his hair rests in his face, wildly, flying with every breath Daniel takes. Roman is unable to fight back a smile and brushes Daniel’s hair back out of his eyes.

A soft, short little moan emits from Daniel. He shifts slightly and throws his arm around Roman’s torso as if forbidding him to move. Roman’s arm rests awkwardly under Daniel, his hand looming over Daniel’s head. He has to squash down the urge to pet at Daniel’s hair, run his fingers through it, because he doesn’t want to wake him.

Roman goes back to staring blankly at the TV.

The next morning is spent with awkward small talk and yearning glances as both Daniel and Roman stumble about the hotel room looking for their discarded clothes, throwing them on as they find them. Jeans without a belt. Shoes without socks.

“Found one of my shoes, but where’s the other one?”

“I dunno.”

“I can’t find my cell phone.”

“Did you check the bathroom?”

“Why would it be in the bathroom?”

“Here, I’ll call it.”

“Thanks...when did I give you my number?”

“Last night.”

“Oh.”

It’s when Roman has found most of his clothing and is now packing his stuff away, preparing for the next long journey into another city, that Daniel lingers behind him hesitantly. Roman hears him clear his throat and glances at him over his shoulder.

“Yeah?”

Daniel’s got his own bag in his hand, dangling loosely from between his grip. He looks caught between saying something and not saying something, that he’s just standing there, uneasily staring at Roman. His mouth opens and then closes.

Roman waits with patience.

“Do you - uh, think that - _this_ \- will change the way things are - you know, between us?” He grinds the question out like it pains him.

“Do you want it to?”

“I dunno,” Daniel shrugs. A short, jerky motion. “do you?”

“Do you?”

Daniel allows himself to laugh. A flash of white teeth behind an anxious smile. A smile behind a significant beard. “I mean - is there a chance that this is likely to happen again?”

“If you want it to,” Roman says.

Silence hangs between them and Daniel’s gaze has wondered to the floor. Roman goes back to packing.

A sigh and then: “I want it to.”

Roman pauses. He stares down thoughtfully at the contents of his bag, “I do too.”

Another sigh, this time, breathless. Relieved, almost, “I still respect you.”

“Me too.”

“Good.”

Respect. That’s what he was calling it.

When they reach the door and the hotel room has been restored to the way it was, Daniel kisses him. Short. Unexpected.

He moves forward, boosting himself up on his toes, and his lips graze across Roman’s clumsily. It’s odd in comparison to last night, kisses happening so frequently the two of them could barely catch their breath. Needy. Sloppy.

Almost like Daniel’s trying to relive their first.

He’s chuckling when he pulls away. “Sorry,”

Roman’s smiling like he finds Daniel to be the cutest thing in the world. Maybe he does. “It’s alright.”

He leans in this time, or down, rather, and their lips crash against each other’s once more.

Daniel inhales when Roman kisses him. Sharply. His hands snake their way up over Roman’s shoulders and clasp together at the back of his neck. Roman’s holding Daniel against him, his arms around Daniel’s waist and for a moment, everything’s perfect.

Roman backs him up against the wall, moving his hands to pin Daniel there, and Daniel makes a soft noise against Roman’s mouth. Everything fits into place like kissing Daniel is the easiest thing Roman’s ever done.

Except the beard, which tickles against Roman’s face, but it’s something he can get used to. It’s shoved to the back of his mind along with everything else in the world.

Eventually, when Roman’s feeling lightheaded and surfaces for air, the two of them are leaning against each other. Daniel’s back is still pressed up against the wall, Roman’s forehead rests against his, and Daniel’s mouth is swollen and red.

Roman’s nearly gasping for breath when he says, “We should probably get going,”

“Yeah,” Daniel clears his throat. “we probably should.”

Although neither of them move until moments later, and they leave the room like nothing happened. Everything is back to normal.

Daniel’s hand nudges against Roman’s while they walk into the lobby.

Roman holds the door open for Daniel when they walk out into the crisp morning air, as friends, as two coworkers that respect each other.

“See you later,” Daniel says and Roman gives him a brief pat on the back.

A friendly smile, not too much, not too little. “Yeah, see you later.”

And Roman heads back towards his rental, the smile lingering behind on his lips.

Daniel Bryan is something he could easily get used to.


End file.
